Basics
The process by which a baby adapts from placental support to independent breathing, circulation, temperature and glucose control.
What is transition?
The substance that reduces surface tension in the alveoli.
What is surfactant?
The fetal shunt that allows blood to bypass the lungs by moving from the right atrium to the left atrium.
What is the foramen ovale?
The normal temperature range for a term newborn.
What is 36.5–37.5°C?
The two routine times APGAR is recorded after birth.
What are 1 minute and 5 minutes?
The three major physiological systems that must rapidly adapt immediately after birth.
What are the respiratory, cardiovascular, and endocrine (metabolic) systems?
Because the lungs are fluid‑filled and high pressure is needed to inflate the alveoli
Why do the newborn’s first breaths require much more effort than subsequent breaths?
The fetal vessel that connects the pulmonary artery to the descending aorta.
What is the ductus arteriosus?
The four mechanisms by which a newborn can lose heat.
What are conduction, convection, radiation, and evaporation?
The five components assessed in the APGAR score.
What are heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, reflex irritability, and colour?
The primary organ that oxygenates the fetus before birth and creates a low‑pressure circulation.
What is the placenta?
The main chemical trigger that stimulates the newborn to breathe.
What is increased carbon dioxide in the blood?
A rapid decrease in pulmonary vascular resistance
What happens in the pulmonary vessels when the baby takes the first breaths?
The process by which newborns generate heat without shivering.
What is non‑shivering thermogenesis?
Because peripheral circulation takes longer to adapt than central circulation.
Why is acrocyanosis common? / Why is colour often the last APGAR parameter to improve?
The type of immunity transferred from māmā to pēpi during pregnancy.
What is passive immunity?
Two environmental stimuli that may assist a baby to initiate breathing.
What are cold, touch, noise, or light?
The physiological change that encourages closure of the foramen ovale.
What is increased blood flow and pressure in the left atrium?
The type of fat that produces heat to protect vital organs.
What is brown fat?
Skin-to-skin, warmth, early and frequent breastfeeding.
What are midwifery actions that support metabolic stability in the first hours?
Two fetal energy stores that are built up before birth to support extrauterine life.
What are brown fat and white fat?
A midwifery action used to stimulate breathing in a slow‑to‑breathe newborn.
What is drying and rubbing the baby with a towel/tactile stimulation/talking to baby
Because lung aeration allows blood flow to the lungs and closure of fetal shunts
Why is effective breathing essential for successful cardiovascular transition?
Two physiological consequences of newborn hypothermia.
What are hypoglycaemia and hypoxia?
(Also acceptable: what is metabolic acidosis?)
Because physiological demands increase in the hours after birth and deterioration can occur.
Why are ongoing observations needed even when initial transition appears normal?